Oskaloosa ? Oskaloosa High senior Kyle Kelsay has scored lots of points in his basketball career — a school-record 1,084, to be exact.

But few were bigger than his 26 points Tuesday against Troy. They pushed him past Bryce Brunton’s 35-year-old school record and were the difference in the 61-59 overtime victory.

“We needed every one of them,” Oskaloosa coach Rod Stottlemire said.

That has been the case most of this season.

Kelsay has been the Bears’ go-to player, averaging 23.9 points a game, a substantial increase from his 16.5 average last season. The 6-foot lefty can play anywhere on the court and probably can beat just about anyone the opposing team uses to guard him.

“You put a big kid on him, he’ll take him on the perimeter. You put a guard on him, he’ll post him up,” Stottlemire said. “He’s just awfully hard to stop. You do a good job on him, and he’s still gonna score his 16, 18 points.

“You don’t do a good job, and he’ll score 30.”

He has done that twice the last 11 games. He posted 30 in a 94-69 victory Feb. 11 over McLouth, and he had a career-high 39 in an 85-60 win Jan. 22 over Olathe Christian. He scored 28 Friday against Kansas City Christian in a 68-53 loss.

On those nights, the three-year starter felt like he could do just about anything.

“You just get going some nights from outside,” Kelsay said. “I was able to hit some threes, and when they came out on me I got to the basket.”

To hear senior Travis Newell tell it, sometimes teams don’t know what they’re up against.

“We were playing Atchison, and they came up and started guarding his right side, and we all started laughing,” he said. “He’s so good with both hands that they never knew he’s left-handed.”

The team’s recent success has made Kelsay’s run at the school record even more enjoyable for the Bears. Oskaloosa, which had 14-8 records Kelsay’s sophomore and junior seasons, has won five of its last seven.

“It’s a lot better when we’re winning,” he said. “I’m glad we’re starting to win at the end.”

Kelsay’s role has changed since those past seasons, too. The Bears had three experienced post players who were the focal points of the offense two years ago. Stottlemire, now in his third season, knew Kelsay could play and didn’t hesitate to start him at point guard.

Kelsay averaged about 10 points a game as a sophomore.

“We didn’t have much at guard,” Stottlemire said. “It made it a little easier for him to break in.”

Adds Kelsay, “It wasn’t my job to score. I just played a lot of good ‘D’ and got inside to the big guys.”

As Kelsay matured, his game followed suit.

Newell, also a three-year starter, enjoys playing alongside Kelsay.

“When you play with a guy as good as Kyle, it makes my job pretty easy,” he said. “He’s quick, and he looks quick, but he’s twice as quick as he looks.”

Kelsay, who hopes to play at Washburn University next season, has received some interest from NAIA schools and some community colleges like Fort Scott, but he hasn’t settled on anything yet.

“If he’s 6-3, 6-4, it would make a big difference,” Stottlemire said. “But he’s the type of player that he’ll just work at it, and he’ll make it.”